The Theories Of Virus Origin - 1615 Words

Viruses are one of the most ancient and diverse wonders of the scientific world, yet they are not fully understood. Scientists still do not know of their origins, but have three main theories of how they came about. Viruses infect organisms, yet they do not perform the biological functions to be considered living organisms themselves. Viruses lack many of the abilities that scientists affiliate with living organisms. Primarily, they cannot reproduce without the help of a host cell, and do not use the normal cell-division process, mitosis, for replication. How did these entities arise and where did they come from? How did they evolve in this ever-changing world to still exist and be so prosperous? In my research I found three theories of virus origin; the theories include the progressive hypothesis, the regressive hypothesis, and the virus-first hypothesis. Investigations of their evolution have revealed many characteristics that allow them to thrive, including their high mutation rat e. This paper will discuss each of the theories of their origin and then attempt to explain some of the aspects of their evolution and high mutation rates. Viruses can find a host from any of the three domains of life and there are relationships with viral proteins from before the divergence of life at the molecular level according to studies. Therefore, viruses are the last universal common ancestor which is indicative of some viruses originating early in the evolution of life and that thereShow MoreRelatedRna World : A Possible Theory For Life Origin1490 Words   |  6 Pagesworld, a possible theory for life origin. I think the RNA world theory, combined with other theories, including clay chemistry and deep sea vents activities, is a very possible theory for life’s origin on Earth. RNA still serves important roles in cell now. 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